Posted by IsoM on October 15, 2002, at 2:02:01
In reply to Re: heavy cloud - no rain » turalizz, posted by Phil on October 13, 2002, at 18:13:50
There's something in the air that some people are far more sensitive to, Phil, than others. After a storm, there is a dramatic change in the electrical charge. When air is still & humid, positive ions predominate in the lower atmosphere. Those who tend to more sensitive to electrical charges can feel depressed, get migraines easier, feel over all more blah. As a storm builds, a negative charge builds in the lower portion of the clouds & the ground develops a more positive charge. After a storm, the air clears & returns to a more normal level, whether from lightening discharges or the falling rain. Both bring a more negative charge to the lower atmosphere.
It's been known for a while now that negative ions make many people feel better. It's not just in storms that negative ions are produced but also by crashing waves along the coast, waterfalls, ordinary rain, even slower moving water in rivers, creeks & along a more gentle seashore. Air movement (wind) can also generate electrical charges. Most of the time, we feel better from a mild negative charge in the air.
Hot, dry katabatic winds (winds that flow *down* a mountain slope, known by various names through the earth as chinook, Santa Ana, foehn, & zonda carry a higher positive charge & most people (but not all!) feel much worse when these winds blow even though they can do much to relieve cold, wet weather.
But there's more to just electrical charges that account for how weather sensitive people feel. After a storm, there's a slightly raised level of ozone in the air & very small amounts can improve some people's mood. The sweet smell after a rain storm is from petrichor, the name given to the different compounds released from the ground by rain. It can elevate many people's mood (it sure does mine).It's an area of science that most North American doctors poo-pooh about & rarely take seriously. Yet in Europe, it's taken much more seriously. But because little is really known (mostly anecdotal rather than properly tested), there's much debate over what affects us & what doesn't. People vary in sensitivity too so it's difficult to measure. Not just weather but a greater interest is being taken on the effects of Earth's flucuating geomagnetic field on humans. It's not a static field but changes locally quite a bit. I'm not talking silly magnetic therapy or anything like that - the Earth's magnetic field is thousands of times greater than even our large magnetics.
If you're interested in learning more, Phil, here's one interesting (though not really full of science) site that you might like:
http://web.outsideonline.com/magazine/1295/12f_cos.htmlTry doing a search on Google for biometeorology, the study of weather's effect on humans. You may have trouble finding many articles in English as it's taken more seriously in Europe & Asia.
If you're really, really interested in all this, get back to me (use my email) & I can direct you to some other unusual bits.
poster:IsoM
thread:123495
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/123720.html